The Chinese CEO of a global human rights foundation has admitted bribing a senior U.N. official with cash, Rolexes and BMWs in return for influence.

Sheri Yan, the head of the Global Sustainability Foundation, pleaded guilty in a New York federal court to one
count of bribery in connection with illicit payments made to
John Ashe, the former General Assembly president.

He is accused of accepting $1.3million of bribes from Chinese businessmen to support their interests within the United Nations and Antigua.

Choking back tears, 60-year-old Yan admitted that beginning in 2012, she
agreed with others to pay Ashe, who was also the U.N.
ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda, to influence officials in
Antigua and the United Nations to support business interests.

'While I was doing these things, I knew that they were
wrong,' Yan said through a Mandarin interpreter.

Sheri Yan, 60, the head of the Global Sustainability Foundation has admitted bribing a U.N. official with cash, Rolexes and BMWs in return for influence. She is pictured, left, outside a court in New York on Thursday

Choking back tears, the 60-year-old philanthropist (far left in a court drawing) admitted she agreed with others to pay John Ashe (right), who was also the U.N. ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda, to influence officials

The plea by Yan, a U.S. citizen, comes less than a week
after the former finance director at the foundation, Heidi Hong
Piao, pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with authorities in
their continuing investigation.

Both women were arrested in October by the FBI as prosecutors unveiled charges over a multi-year
scheme to pay more than $1.3million in bribes to Ashe.

Unlike Piao, though, Yan's plea came without any agreement
to cooperate with authorities. Under a plea agreement, Yan, who
also is known as Shiwei Yan, agreed not to appeal any sentence
of seven-and-a-quarter years in prison. Her sentencing is set for April 29.

The bribes Ashe allegedly received included more than $800,000 from three businessmen
that were arranged through Yan and Piao, prosecutors said.

In court, Yan said she and others paid Ashe to persuade
officials in Antigua to enter into contracts with foreign
companies, and to use his U.N. position help her and others
promote business ventures from which we intended to profit.

Yan (pictured right with her attorney outside the Manhattan federal court last week) said through a Mandarin interpreter that she knew her conduct was wrong

Prosecutors have also charged Ng Lap Seng, a billionaire
developer from the Chinese territory of Macau who allegedly paid
$500,000 in bribes to Ashe through intermediaries.

Ashe, 61, has only been charged with tax fraud, as
prosecutors have said diplomatic immunity may preclude any
bribery charges.

But prosecutors have said they were examining
the issue and likely would bring further charges.

A lawyer for Ashe did not immediately respond to a request
for comment.

Prosecutors allege that Ashe (pictured), the U.N. General Assembly president from 2013 to 2014, accepted $1.3million of bribes from Chinese businessmen to support their interests within the UN and Antigua